Reflection on the summer

I always question where the summer went at the end of every summer, but this one truly flew by. I've spent the last week almost in disbelief that the summer of 2014 has almost come to an end. My to-do list did not get finished(and there is no way to finish it in two days) and I did not make it to everything I "planned" to do. There are only so many hours in a day, and I'm also realizing the older I get the more I need this thing called sleep. I'm almost out of denial that I can still keep the hours I did when in college. (Umm yeah Melissa that was ten years ago...ouch). I have learned the power of reflection this summer. I went to several conferences for professional development. Reflection was a take away from ISTE that I now apply to every conference and PD session. Time is precious and the investment we are doing as teachers who are life long learners should make a difference, but I digress. This summer was a unique one and while it had some amazing memories, it has contained SEVERAL lessons and applications. Here are some of those lessons ;-)

• What you call a wall, God calls a lesson
• You can not give out that which you have not taken in
• Be the difference you desire to see...God created you to do something. 
• Love is a powerful four letter word, Love people right where they are not where you think they should be. 
• The mask doesn't fool God. 
• When God gives you an ocean, the enemy will make you still long for the fish tank and it's boundaries. Don't limit yourself when God gave you room to dream. 
• Change and Action go hand in hand
• Obedience keeps things moving in the right direction 
• The desire to learn is priceless, always find somewhere to grow. 
• When someone can't accept the real You..the one God called you to be not the mask you have worn for years to please others....move on. The season may be over either way God gave you the insight for a reason. 
• Everyone needs someone with skin to talk to, but a priceless find is someone who will listen without trying to "fix" it. 
• Value yourself enough to be more than "just a"(Because you are!)
• Numbers do not make you who you are, so don't let them define you
• Take time with your yes...your time is a seed you sow, an investment  you make. Will your investment be eternal? 
• The ladder of success is wide, but hose that climb without stepping on fingers are few and far between. 

I could elaborate on some, but some may turn into a blog later ;-). I'm happy with just being me. I'm over trying to do everything everybody else wants me to do and quite content just listening to Him and getting better every day at seeing where He steps. I still miss Him some times, but each time I have known it and started back tracking to see where I took the wrong step. I don't want to ever get so far that I can't tell that and quickly find my way back. If I could put the summer wisdom in a nutshell it would be, value yourself the way God does. I have been the world's worst(maybe not, but pretty bad) at pity parties and the I'm just a line. I could have probably made it into a sign. Up until this weekend even I was still using it, but would feel guilty about it afterwards. As long as we allow other people to define how we see ourselves we will always be "just a". Someone else doesn't have to notice your value for you to have worth and for what you do to mean something. I get that now...I can't say I did even 24 hours ago. What finally made it click? I can't exactly say, but it has. God never promised it would be easy, but we make it so much harder on ourselves when we refuse to wear His glasses or look into His mirror. Life is hard enough without using the world's standards to measure yourself by. With that being said, the enemy knows where we are weak at and therefore those are the "buttons" he tends to try and push. Step back from the situation(s) and let God reveal where the triggers are. At some point you will start to see the triggers before the button is pushed and can listen to what He says not what the button said. Life is too short to spend it on a hamster wheel or climbing a ladder God did build. Love those who come into your day, invest in those you have a chance to, spend time with those who invest back in you, and most of all be YOU! We make God smile when not only look at that gift He gave us, but take it out and use it. Our goal in life should be for others to see Him, not us. Put your gift in action and when the time is right, He will let others see what He's always seen and known.

Blessings on the journey this week!
~Melissa